A blessing on the road

As I was driving home, I pulled off the highway and stopped at a light. I’ve sat at the end of that ramp many times. But today, I glanced up and saw a white SUV slowing down to make room for me to move in front of them.

I was surprised. I’ve never had a car pause there so I could enter that stretch of road before. Everyone is always in a hurry.

Suddenly, I realized the driver was waving vigorously at me. And I realized, “I know her! That’s Molly!”

I rolled down my window and we exchanged greetings, calling out excited hellos. We are neighbors who live within walking distance of each other. We probably shop at the same grocery stores, attend the same church, and are scrambling to prepare our sons to start their first year of college at the same stores, but we rarely see each other.

We were like long-lost friends, shouting across the traffic to each other. It was a moment of joy.

Molly continued to beckon for me to go in front of her, so I slid into the lane—giving her a thankful wave. I headed home, knowing she was right behind me for most of the ride.

A block from my house we parted ways, honking and waving, separating for the next part of our day. But that little exchange left me smiling.

Connection is so important. Presence is so valuable. And there is something so wonderful, so powerful, so poignant, about simply being seen.

So often on the roads, you feel invisible and undervalued. A car cuts you off or speeds past you. A larger vehicle behind you honks because you’re just not moving quickly enough.

In recent years, as I’ve been teaching teen drivers to drive, I’ve tried to explain that you can take your time. It’s all right to make others wait until you are sure you have the space to turn, the room to change lanes. Those minutes can save lives. A little time can be valuable. No one needs to be in that much of a hurry. But the world doesn’t always agree with that approach. So many times, we’ve had huge pickup trucks and SUVs barrel around us, cutting across double yellow lines to get past our drivers in training.

But today, I was seen. In a sea of cars, on a busy afternoon, I was recognized. In a simple, thoughtful action, my friend made a space for me to share the road. And it changed my day.

“It is easy to love the people far away,” said St. Teresa of Kolkota, our beloved Mother Teresa. “It is not always easy to love those close to us. It is easier to give a cup of rice to relieve hunger than to relieve the loneliness and pain of someone unloved in our own home. Bring love into your home, for this is where our love for each other must start.”

Perhaps today you will see someone and truly see them. Perhaps someone around you will really see you. And maybe the world will be a little sweeter and a little more peaceful as a result.